Young workers have unique risk factors for injuries
These include:
- Lack of experience with the job
- Willingness to take risks
- Want to prove themselves
- Won’t ask questions
- Unaware of risks on the job
- Lack of safety training
- Are unfamiliar with rights and responsibilities
It is important to consider these characteristics of young workers when you plan a proper orientation, training, and supervision of a new young worker. Looking for resources to supplement training you provide to young workers? See our free online awareness training.
Know and adhere to child labor laws
You should know:
- What hours are restricted for youth
- Laws protecting minor workers
- Prohibited occupations for minors
- Types of work that youth are not allowed to do
Get information on Child labor laws in Oregon at BOLI
Get information on US child labor law at Youth Rules!
What More Can Employers Do?
Make orientations age appropriate
- Give more detailed instructions
- Make the orientation to specific task skills
- Be clear about the health and safety protocols
- Establish communication lines, who do they report health and safety concerns to and how will they be addressed?
- Encourage questions
- Youth may be anxious about speaking up if they are not sure about a task or if they have a health and safety concern. Make it clear for them to ask questions if they are not sure about something, and who they can ask questions of.
Develop a safety orientation checklist designed to remind supervisors of common health and safety problems and what should be covered in orientation. Topics may include:
- Emergency procedures
- Physical demands
- Office hazards
- Hazardous materials
- Protective clothing and equipment
- Tools and equipment
- Electrical safety
- Other hazards
Make trainings age appropriate
- Make it fun and easy to understand
- Keep instructions direct, short and simple
- Participatory
- Encourage questions
- Frequently review and retrain
- Repetition, repetition, repetition
Make safety training clear
- Describe your written health and safety policies
- Let them know about your injury and illness prevention program
- Safety training should be “hands on”
- Constantly review
Supervision of young workers is important
- Observe young workers and correct mistakes immediately
- Teens should not work alone
- Involve co-workers in supervising and mentoring
- mentoring program w/ experienced workers
- include experienced teens